Tiger on the prowl
Monday, 30 March 2009
ORLANDO, Mar 29 (AFP): Tiger Woods lost his ball at the final hole during Saturday's third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but the six million-dollar PGA tournament itself is far from lost.
Defending champion Woods subsequently got up-and-down from 145 yards, sinking a 25-foot putt that was his longest of the week, to salvage an unlikely bogey from what could have been a considerable wreck.
And after the other contenders also had their problems over the brutal closing stretch in strong, gusty winds at Bay Hill, Woods ended the day in second place, five strokes behind American leader Sean O'Hair, who dropped three shots in the final four holes.
O'Hair carded 71 for a seven-under-par 203 total. Woods also recorded 71 to be alone on two-under.
Jason Gore three-putted the last from five feet for a double bogey to fall into a tie for third on one-under with fellow American Zach Johnson and Japan's Ryuji Imada.
To win, Woods will have to match his biggest final round comeback on the PGA Tour. The 2000 Pebble Beach Pro-Am is the only time he has overturned a five-shot deficit.
Globally, his biggest final round rally was from eight shots behind at the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand.
Woods' second shot at the 18th finished in deep rough just inside a hazard short of the green, and he could not locate his ball within the allowed five minutes.
"I hit wedge, trying to put the ball in the left bunker, and the wind snagged it and knocked it down and to the right," Woods said.
Defending champion Woods subsequently got up-and-down from 145 yards, sinking a 25-foot putt that was his longest of the week, to salvage an unlikely bogey from what could have been a considerable wreck.
And after the other contenders also had their problems over the brutal closing stretch in strong, gusty winds at Bay Hill, Woods ended the day in second place, five strokes behind American leader Sean O'Hair, who dropped three shots in the final four holes.
O'Hair carded 71 for a seven-under-par 203 total. Woods also recorded 71 to be alone on two-under.
Jason Gore three-putted the last from five feet for a double bogey to fall into a tie for third on one-under with fellow American Zach Johnson and Japan's Ryuji Imada.
To win, Woods will have to match his biggest final round comeback on the PGA Tour. The 2000 Pebble Beach Pro-Am is the only time he has overturned a five-shot deficit.
Globally, his biggest final round rally was from eight shots behind at the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand.
Woods' second shot at the 18th finished in deep rough just inside a hazard short of the green, and he could not locate his ball within the allowed five minutes.
"I hit wedge, trying to put the ball in the left bunker, and the wind snagged it and knocked it down and to the right," Woods said.